China's largest ancient nomadic campsite unearthed

Remains of an ancient nomadic
campsite for emperors from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125 A.D.) may be
the largest of their kind in China, archaeologists said on
Wednesday.

The campsite, found in Qian'an
County in northeast China's Jilin Province, served as
administrative center during the reign of nomadic Khitans over
north China, although the regime's capital city was in Inner
Mongolia.

Feng Enxue, an archaeologist and
professor with Jilin University, told Xinhua that emperors of the
Liao Dynasty usually had four campsites where they lived during
four seasons. In spring and summer, when it was warmer, they moved
to the north while in autumn and winter they settled in the
south.

The ruins, once the spring
campsite, were first found in 2009 and have undergone excavation
since August this year. Situated on a vast grassland, the campsite
is next to a small lake. Tradition dictates that Khitan emperors
would give the first wild goose he hunted and the first fish caught
as offerings for prosperity every year.

Overall it consists of four parts.
The biggest, three kilometers wide, is about one third the size of
the entire campsite, containing as many as 900 bases for
camping.

While archaeologists have yet to
disclose the overall size of the campsite, it is believed to be the
largest ever found in China.

During the past two months,
archaeologists unearthed more than 100 cultural relics, including
tiles, pottery, porcelain, copper coins and Buddha statues.

Site workers also discovered
pottery shards, coal cinder and pieces of broken ironware, which
proved the Khitans dwelled their for short periods.

Jin Xudong, head of the Jilin
Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage, told Xinhua that they are
considering applying for the World Heritage list. Endi